How yoga supports pregnancy and birth

Most of us become pregnant without much understanding of how our body and mind will transform through the months of pregnancy, labour and birth, and months of postnatal recovery. Especially as our media and social media bombard us with celebrities bouncing back two weeks after birth, we think we should be the same.

This is doing our bodies and our minds a real disservice. Becoming a mother, being pregnant, navigating through labour and birth and then nurturing our baby through to adulthood is all consuming and hard work physically and mentally. It is one of the most amazing, joyous and rewarding things we will ever do, but the truth is, it’s hard work.

When we are pregnant we might be one of the lucky ones to sail through with an easeful pregnancy. We might enjoy every moment. We might be one of the unlucky ones with a whole raft of symptoms and can’t wait for pregnancy to be over. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. We are all unique, we have different starting points in our health and well-being, whether we have been pregnant before or not, whether we have birthed before or not. We all have our own preferences, needs and expectations. There is no right or wrong way to be pregnant, labour and birth, and recover - your way will be different to every other pregnant person.

A pregnancy yoga class is a gentle way to explore your body and mind, ease out some of the symptoms of pregnancy, meet other mums-to-be and give you the physical and mental support and confidence you need to navigate your journey through your unique pregnancy… and beyond.

What is Pregnancy Yoga?

Pregnancy Yoga combines gentle, pregnancy specific yoga, breathing techniques, birth skills and relaxation to support your body and mind through pregnancy, labour and birth, and help you to prepare for motherhood.

What happens in a pregnancy yoga class?

Centring, breath techniques and meditation to help you connect to your changing body
Movement and adapted yoga poses to strengthen and ease your pregnant body
Breathwork to help balance your nervous system during pregnancy and specific breathing techniques for labour and birth
Mindful practices to help you to bond with your baby/ies
Skills and techniques for positive and active birthing at home or in hospital
Relaxation to soothe your body, promote better sleep and increase your body and minds ability to relax during labour and birth
Time to meet and share experience with other mums to be

The benefits of Pregnancy Yoga include:

Build confidence:

in your natural ability to carry and birth your baby as you tune into your body and learn mindfulness skills
in understanding your body and adapting to the changes pregnancy brings through gentle stretching and movement

Connect

to your baby before birth as you slow down and focus inward
other mums-to-be as you share experience

Support:

· the strengthening and toning of pelvic floor, abdominal and supporting muscles, which help prepare for labour and make the birthing process more manageable.

the optimal positioning of your baby for birth to help a more easeful and shorter birth

Help:

alleviate symptoms such as backache and pelvic girdle pain through improving your posture and strengthening core muscles, to support the additional weight and pressure on the body.

combat sleeplessness through relaxation techniques and supported sleep positions
Help circulation through gentle movement to reducing the risk of varicose veins and other discomforts.

Learn:

gentle exercises – to strengthen the body and use throughout your daily routine
techniques for relaxation which will help you to stay calm and easeful during labour and birth as well as through your pregnancy
gentle breathing techniques to improve your breathing in pregnancy and to ease discomfort during labour and birth

positions for an active labour and birth – which can reduce the risk of intervention and lead to an easier labour and birth

Enjoy:

increased energy as you re-balance through movement and relaxation

· reduced anxiety through the use of relaxation and breathing techniques to balance out emotions, hormonal fluctuations and increased stress levels.

finding some peace and calm in your week to focus on you and your baby

Share:

techniques with your partner so they can learn tools to support you through your birth

Is there scientific evidence that Pregnancy Yoga is beneficial?

Yes, there is some scientific research into the benefits of Pregnancy Yoga.

There are not a lot of studies – in part due to the ethics of studies on pregnant women and their babies – but here’s the main points made from a few studies and you can look them up if like a bit of scienced based evidence. Most notable is the positive effects pregnancy yoga has on reducing the length and pain of labour and birth as well as the easing of pregnancy symptoms.

“Yoga is well indicated for pregnant women and leads to improvements on a variety of pregnancy, labour, and birth outcomes” (Curtis, Weinrib, and Katz 2012)

“Significant findings from the randomized studies included an increase in infant birth weight, lower incidence of pregnancy complications, shorter duration of labour, and less pain among yoga practitioners. Significant findings from the non-randomized and qualitative studies included decrease in pain, improved quality of sleep, increased maternal confidence, and improved interpersonal relationships among pregnant women who practiced yoga.” (Riley and Drake 2013)

“Nonpharmacologic treatment options, such as gentle physical activity and yoga-based interventions for pregnancy-related low back and pelvic pain and related symptoms can be recommended.” (Kinser and colleagues 2017)

“An integrated approach to yoga during pregnancy decreases intrauterine growth retardation either in isolation or associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension, with no increased complications.” (Narendran and colleagues 2005)

“The evidence highlights positive effects of pregnancy yoga on anxiety, depression, perceived stress, mode of birth and duration of labour.” (Corrigan et al 2022).

“Findings indicate that prenatal Hatha yoga may improve current mood and may be effective in reducing postpartum depressive symptoms.” (Bershadsky et al 2014)

Recommendation for pregnancy yoga from my own experience

I went to a pregnancy class for both of my pregnancies and used the skills and tools I learned to help me through the demands of my labours and births. I know how the power of using the breath and relaxation can help to ease discomfort and how feeling connected to, and confident in, your body gives you an empowered and positive approach to labour and birth.

My births weren’t exactly as I had planned – most births aren’t – but I know how much pregnancy yoga classes helped me to navigate both of my experiences and the tools enabled me to have the best births possible and inspired me to go on to teach pregnancy yoga to hundreds of women.

What are the benefits of Pregnancy Yoga?